Ashwinder: Hiding from the flames
by dominantclaus
Summary: SEQUEL to Ashwinder: serpent amongst flames. Out of the flames and into the snake's den. Not about to make his life easy; Orochimaru has plans for the still naive young fox.
1. Chapter 1

Sequel to Ashwinder: serpent amongst the flames.

Told you there'd be one.

Behold!

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Chapter one: Memories.

Naruto rolled to his back sighing as he did so. It's been years, yet memories constantly came back to haunt him making it seem like it had only happened mere days ago. There was a chuckle then, to which Naruto merely scowled at.

"You seem to have trouble concentrating, Naruto."

"… Orochimaru." Naruto drawled out before letting out another heavy sigh. "I'm bored." A thin brow raised; plain amusement lit up in those golden eyes of the snake-nin.

"Did you complete the assignment I handed to you already?" At which Naruto threw up his hands in the air; leaves followed as he did so.

"Assignment? You call this," He picked up a bunch of leaves again and threw them in the air once more as scowled as they showered back down on him, "assignment?!" The smile on Orochimaru stayed; unwavering to Naruto's sudden outburst.

"You will continue until you have completed the task I have given you, Naruto." The smile faltered for a brief second before returning to the previous one, so brief Naruto would have though he imagined it if he had not noticed pain flicker in those golden eyes. But Orochimaru had already turned his back on him, walking back inside and leaving Naruto.

"You trust me to not return to Konoha?" He asked quietly; not sure if Orochimaru would hear him, he _is_ outdoors after all. A quiet chuckle that later reached his ears were evidence that Orochimaru had, in fact, heard him.

"You will not."

Flopping back on the grassy ground, he sighed before closing his eyes. _He smells of blood…_ Naruto duly noted before dozing off in the shade.

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_Naruto cursed as he moved to follow the adult-napped Sandaime. He knew Orochimaru would make a move soon; he just didn't think he would during… Naruto clicked his tongue; cursing once more as he remembered just who he was talking about. This was Orochimaru. A man he knew all too well. But then again; Naruto duly noted; how well _did_ he know Orochimaru?_

"_Orochimaru!" As he rushed towards to the snake-nin, he felt a ripple in the air; the hairs on his arm standing at the sudden flare of chakra. Stopping short; he glanced around at the barrier formed around him. It was a strong one and instincts had him giving a low threatening growl at the four oto-nins._

"_Calm, child." That same exasperated tone had him crouch lower, almost pressing his stomach on the floor before blinking twice at Orochimaru and slowly straightening himself up. "Did I not tell you to stay out of this?" _

"_Did I not tell you to not harm the old man?" A smirk slowly formed on the pale features of Orochimaru's narrow face,_

"_I had not come to harm him." Yet. It was left unsaid, but Naruto had caught it just as clearly as if spoken out loud. He gave Orochimaru a nasty growl before he was pulled backwards behind the snake-nin. _

"_Orochimaru," He heard the Sandaime speak, an icy tone he'd never thought the old man would be capable of. It's no wonder. Orochimaru _does_ bring out the worst of people. "I should have known."_

"_Did you? I could've sworn you were acting all chummy with me just a short while ago. Did I imagine that?"_

"_Save your witty comments for someone who finds them amusing." The Sandaime replied; to which Naruto quickly made an effort to hide his amusement. He had no idea Orochimaru was capable of wit, from the corner of his eyes he saw Orochimaru's eyes on him for a brief moment before turning them back to the Sandaime who continued speaking, "Release Naruto this instant." Naruto blinked. Release him? Why? Oh. He glanced up at Orochimaru, who blatantly ignored him. His prank instincts were eager to take control when gold eyes slid his way warningly. Not right now; was what those eyes depicted. He was just in the middle of fighting back a pout when he then felt a wave a malicious intent and glanced at the Sandaime in shock; and for the first time he felt real fear. If looks could kill, he'd be on the floor bleeding away his life. A cold sweat rolled down his spine as he found himself edging closer to Orochimaru; almost plastering his body against Orochimaru's back, seeking for any ounce of comfort he could. Sensing his discomfort and fear; Orochimaru pushed Naruto further behind him until he was completely hidden. _

"_Release him?" He heard Orochimaru chide back before he felt the taller man's body shake as he chuckled, "And why would I do that?"_

"_What do you want with Naruto?"_

"_Want?" Naruto clutched at Orochimaru's robes as the unpleasant flare of chakra increased but this one was coming from Orochimaru. He felt Orochimaru lean back a little; as if attempting to provide the comfort Naruto yearned for. "I could hardly simply let such a precious boy slip through the grasp of my hands."_

"_So you found out." The Sandaime scowled, "How?"_

"_You really have no idea, do you?" Orochimaru shook his head. "Well, how about I tell you a story of how the snake met the lost little fox in the forest outside the skirts of Konoha?"_

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_Orochimaru couldn't believe it. He knew that the Sandaime was naïve and peace-loving; but to be this clueless was quite a feat to accomplish. Slowly, he got into the story of how gold met amethyst; cold, grief-ridden, tired amethyst eyes. How he spent all those years getting the child to catch up with all those missed meals, helping his body get accustomed to healthy food. How the insolent brat refused to eat any sort of vegetables, throwing up over his shoes due to being unaccustomed to hard food in his stomach. He got him back for that of course. How he had to literally knock the brat out just to get him to get some sleep. His body was weak due to malnutrition; and the lack of knowledge. A child at the age that they met at that time should at least know how to read and write simple words, yet the child knew next to nothing, he was barely getting by speaking without stumbling with his words. His horrid taste in clothing; though Orochimaru found it endlessly amusing and so did nothing to correct the boys' clothing. _

_He slowly went through his training regime with the child. He pushed Naruto to his limit, both physically and mentally eventually forcing the child to use the demonic chakra of Kyuubi. With each usage; cerulean eyes that turned red during the process soon had a permanent effect on the colour of his eyes as they turned amethyst. In return, the boy had become stronger. He was _the_ perfect vessel for him. However, he'd later found out that due to the Kyuubi he is unable to possess Naruto's body. He gave up soon enough. He deliberately ignored the relief that went through him when he had found that out. Surviving with taking new vessels every so often did not seem like a bad idea as Naruto seems to like the idea of meeting new 'friends' that seem to 'disappear' every so often. He'd questioned about it of course, but that did not mean he had to deem it an answer, especially when he was younger. He'd told him they'd become one with the night sky; which was a close enough answer to the truth. _

_After hearing this, the Sandaime was visibly paler. Orochimaru worried that the old Hokage would pass out without him doing anything. Just as he was about to make another witty remark; an Anbu team arrived outside the barrier having found their leader. The Sandaime seemed to snap out of whatever he'd been thinking of and went into the standard fighting taijutsu stance. By then, Naruto had also calmed down but kept close. _

"_Stay back." He murmured to him quietly. Surprisingly, the usually defiant child complied without kicking up a fuss. But one look into Naruto's eyes, Orochimaru found himself grimacing at the pale complexion of Naruto. "Let me handle this." As he removed the small sweaty hands that had been gripping tightly on his robes, he ignored the subtle squeeze he gave Naruto before turning his attention fully on the Sandaime and in a louder voice; "I've recently mastered a new technique, intriguing one really. Why don't I show you how it works?" He taunted at his teacher before forming the necessary hand seals. _

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_Naruto watched in horror as Orochimaru growled in pain; with his hands taken away from him, it was a battle lost. But the Sandaime didn't look any better than Orochimaru. He didn't know what jutsu was used to immobilize Orochimaru's arms; but it seemed to drain the old man of most of his chakra. He noticed Orochimaru had not given up his attempt to kill the Sandaime and made a move to take out his sword he usually hid inside him; fearing for Sandaime's life Naruto grabbed the sleeve of Orochimaru's robes; tugging harder when Orochimaru ignored him and he did so until Orochimaru did look at him. _

"_Stay back." Orochimaru breathed out heavily. Naruto winced at the pain in his voice. _

"_That's enough Orochimaru." Naruto was surprised at the whine that seeped through his plea, "Let's go back to the Oto village." He swallowed, "Back home." The words rolled off the tip of his tongue with strange unfamiliarity. See the determination unwavering Naruto let the corner of his lips fall, his eyes going dangerously wet; he wanted to believe he was doing this on purpose to get Orochimaru to listen, but right now he didn't think so. His hands clutched desperately onto the robes on the exhausted snake nin; shaky but persistent. Orochimaru stared at him for a while, while breathing in and out painfully. "Please?" Orochimaru finally let out a sigh as he grudgingly made a move to stand,_

"_I won't take regret for an answer, Naruto." Orochimaru frowned at him. There was something in Orochimaru's eyes that Naruto couldn't quite get a hold of; but nodded anyway. It was a promise and he planned on going through with it. He didn't belong in Konoha. He didn't _feel_ like he did. All but the exception of Iruka sensei and the Sandaime; he had no one who cared whether he lived or died. Hell, most _wanted_ him dead._

"_I want to go home." He missed the Oto village; Orochimaru had taken him there once. No one looked at him like he was a piece of trash that was waiting to be picked up and thrown away far away. They didn't treat him like he was special, but rather; like they would with anyone. _

"_Naruto," The Sandaime struggled to get up from where he was lying down. "You don't have to do this." Naruto shook his head,_

_He smiled, "Take care, old man." He turned to follow Orochimaru, who had already started limping towards the forest direction. "Goodbye."_


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two: Silent warning

Orochimaru stumbled into his room only managing to catch his balance before he found himself kissing the cold floor; he really has no idea when it was last cleaned. He winced as the action ripped open his still tender wounds, he couldn't help but continue to feel those intelligent crimson eyes on him. As intriguing as he finds it, when turned on him in full power; one cannot help but shudder at the sheer intensity of them, as if they could read every move, every thought of yours.

"_Hand over the boy." Orochimaru's gold slit eyes continued to stare into those stunning red orbs, _

"_And what makes you think I'll hand him over just like that?" Red eyes narrowed, _

"_As an ex-member of the Akatsuki, you should know the consequences of disobeying our demands." _

"_What business does the Akatsuki have with Naruto?" Orochimaru countered. Unfazed, Itachi hooked a piece of hand behind his ears, _

"_We don't." He replied simply, Orochimaru couldn't help but feel that the Sharingan user had just evaded his question. "I won't repeat myself again, Orochimaru. Hand the Kyuubi vessel over."_

"_And if I don't?" Orochimaru cocked his head mockingly at Itachi, the shark-nin beside him shuffled; going into a combat stance, answering his question and he felt an eerie smile form. _

"_Why are you protecting the boy, Orochimaru?" Protect? No. Naruto is a valuable asset to him; one which he can control and use to execute his plans. He just had yet to send him to a mission to do so. He wasn't strong enough just yet. He wasn't ready. "Have you come to care, Orochimaru?" A chuckle before the shark-nin shook his head, "Are you even capable of caring for anyone besides yourself? Itachi san, may I kill him?"_

"…" _Itachi continued to observe Orochimaru quietly; his eyes betraying no hint of what was going through his sharp mind. "Do what you want."_

A knock on the door woke Orochimaru from his much needed nap,

"Orochimaru?" Naruto.

"What is it?" Orochimaru sat up a bit straighter from his seat,

"You alright? You looked a bit tired before, and I smelt blood…"

"I am fine, Naruto." Naruto didn't look convinced and Orochimaru resisted a startled jump when Naruto was suddenly in front of him, looking thoughtful. "Don't think too hard, child. You might cause a short circuit." Besides the obvious pout on Naruto's face, the boy made no other reaction to his snide comment.

"Strip." Orochimaru blinked. Staring closely at Naruto; his face dead serious. And he blinked again before placing a hand over the child's forehead worriedly only to have his hand slapped away. Naruto's face was determined like never before.

"_Excuse_ me?"

"Strip." Naruto repeated himself with the same seriousness as he straightened up; placing his hands on his hips.

"Um…" For once in his whole life, he was speechless. What _were_ one supposed to say when a _child_ was demanding you to strip?

"Very intelligent, Orochimaru." Naruto raised a brow, "Now strip. Before I decide to help." Orochimaru swallowed, trying to let the situation slowly sink in before sighing and standing up.

"Well, _child_." Orochimaru smirked, Naruto already sensing something wrong and is slowly backing away. "You asked for it."

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An Anbu member appeared before Kabuto seeming to be in a rush and he looked up from his paper work.

"What is it?" He asked, slightly irritated. If this is about that Naruto again…

"Sir, it's…"

"What?" He snapped impatiently,

"It's Naruto." That was it, the ink brush in his hand snapped in half; ink falling all over the paper in front of him.

"What about him?" Again, the Anbu seemed hesitant.

"You might want to witness this yourself, sir." Kabuto raised a brow, suddenly having a b-a-d feeling about this.

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"Oh my god! That is _not_ what I _meant_, you _pervert!_"

"Well, now… I was pretty sure I did not interpret you intentions incorrectly, Naruto. Come here now, don't be shy. I don't bite, _much_."

"Stay _away_ from me! Oh my god!"

Kabuto cleared his throat and the scene before froze.

"Orochimaru sama," He took in a deep, slow, steady breath in; and out again. When he opened his eyes again, the same frozen scene was still in front of him. "May I ask just what is it that you are doing?" Kabuto took in the scene slowly, analyzing and deciphering what he could. Before him, was a half naked Orochimaru legs cradling either side of Naruto's hips who is in the process of being forced down onto the floor and having his shirt removed by Orochimaru. While it confirmed Kabuto's secret belief on Orochimaru, this was hardly a scene he would pay to witness.

"No, you may not. Now leave us."

"No! Don't you _dare_ Kabuto! Help me get this pervert _off_ me!"

"Yes, Orochimaru sama." Kabuto gladly complied with a bow before closing the door; ignoring all the death threats being thrown at him by Naruto.

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"_We're going on a journey, Naruto." Flopping onto his back, said boy glanced at the upside down speaker before tilting his head,_

"_Did we run out of food again?" Hands grabbing the thick branch of the tree he was on, Naruto flipped himself up and around it before releasing and started flying towards him; who already had his arms opened to catch the child. Frowning when he realized the child was moving much too fast towards them that catching now would sound like a very b-a-d idea, soon after the thought crossed his mind, Naruto came crashing into him with incredible force, causing the both of them to fall onto the grassy ground. The child still had the grace to laugh as Kabuto gave a painful groan, _

"_Are you an idiot?!" Kabuto smacked him on the head, hard. _

"_Did you seriously just ask that question, Kabuto?" A new, but scratchy voice joined in to Naruto's hysteric laughing._

"_He could've gotten hurt!" Kabuto scolded as he faced Orochimaru._

"_He could've. But he didn't; obviously." Orochimaru pinned him with a knowing, yet mocking look. _

"_Wha-? I didn-" Huffing, Kabuto turned back to Naruto who had finally calmed down and was now wiping tears from his eyes. "Like I said," He raised his chin for emphasis, "We are going on a journey." _

"_Why?" Naruto plopped himself down on the ground; sitting cross legged and resting his hands on his knees. Kabuto mentally gave a nod; when Naruto was like this, he was on full concentrated mode. He was glad the candy he made sure to bring with him did not come in use._

"_We are going to set out to find someone." _

"_Who?" Kabuto held a photo out for Naruto to look at,_

"_This is Senju Tsunade." He paused for a brief moment and at Naruto's nod, he continued. "As you can see, the Sandaime had used a jutsu on Orochimaru sama that immobilizes his arms. It is a jutsu that stops chakra from flowing through the vein systems; thankfully, it was only casted on his arms. If this jutsu was casted on Orochimaru sama's entire body… well, things would be a lot worse. Do you understand everything up to this point, Naruto?" He waited patiently as he can almost literally _see_ the information slowly sink into Naruto; his expression changing every so often as one piece of information sinks in after the other._

"_So…" Naruto squinted his eyes in concentration, "We find this person, and she could fix Orochimaru's arm?" From the corner of his eyes, he saw the brows of Orochimaru rise to his hairline. In fact, he could feel _his_ doing the same. "Oh come on guys, I'm 12 not an idiot." _

"_Right." Kabuto dismissed with a wave of his hand, "Start the packing, we leave tomorrow morning."_

_Naruto watched Kabuto's retreating figure, he could feel the pout on his face but he couldn't care less. He'd just be insulted; and he was going to get Kabuto back for this. Dozens of pranks already forming in his mind, the trouble now was to choose which was best suited for Kabuto. While he was contemplating with himself, a soft grunt distracted his thoughts. _

"_Are you alright, Orochimaru?"_

"_I am fine, Naruto."_

"_We're going to get you fixed up." Naruto told the snake sanin, who in return; raised a questioning brow at him. _

"_Confident, are we?" Amethyst eyes stared boldly into gold, unwavering; with a silent promise in those eyes. _

"_We're going to get you fixed up, Orochimaru." Naruto repeated simply before rushing off to his room to start the packing leaving Orochimaru to simply stare after Naruto. And he continued even after he could no longer see the child. Really, what was he going to do with the child? Why does he always have a way with his words that strikes Orochimaru that not even weapons could? He was getting soft. Is it old age, perhaps? _

_Shaking his head at his own foolishness, he followed Naruto back inside; unaware of the small hint of a smile on his pale face._

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Naruto picked up his hitai-ate that was hidden in the folded clothing that was given by the sandaime, twirling the ends of the bands between his fingers as he laid flat on his bed. How was the old man doing?

"_Why the frog pyjamas, old man?" _

"_Hm?" Said 'old man' raised his head, staring at Naruto who was wearing the pyjamas given to him. He smiled at the sight, _

"_And the frog wallet." Naruto added when the sandaime didn't reply,_

"_The pyjamas was-"_

"_-made by you, yes. But why frog?" The sandaime smiled,_

"_I asked an… acquaintance of mine for gift ideas." He replied with a half hearted one shoulder shrug to which Naruto raised a brow at, _

"_And you decided to listen to this acquaintance of yours?"_

"_I trust him." _

"_Who is this acquaintance of yours? I'll keep an eye out for him to never trust a single word from him." The sandaime raised a brow, exaggerating his insulted look._

"_You don't like it?"_

"_Well…" Naruto sighed, "This wonderfully made." He decided to say, "But I don't think the frog part was necessary. I find it hard to associate myself with frogs."_

"_Oh?" At this, the sandaime put down the paper he was working on, "Which animal do you think suits you best?" Naruto laughed,_

"_Digging for more gift ideas, old man?" The old Hokage raised his chin, but didn't reply. The grin on Naruto's face widened, "An animal huh…" He made an attempt to look thoughtful, "I guess I haven't really thought about it before." Naruto glanced at the sandaime with deviousness that he had no idea the child was capable of possessing, his head tilted in a manner that reminded the sandaime painfully of someone else, a small smile evident on the child's features. "I don't know, old man, you tell me."_

The sandaime woke up from his bed and sat up to wipe the sweat off his forehead, why the sudden dream? This memory had been a while back, why now? He didn't notice it before, but right now to him… it sounded like a warning.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3: Hidden motives

"_What happened?" He was tired and sore with barely any recollection of what happened. But he wasn't about to pass out again without hearing an explanation,_

"_You fought Sabaku no Gaara." Kakashi gave a simple reply and that eye-smile Sasuke had always dreamed of punching at. _

"_And your hair's not black," Sasuke gave a sarcastic reply whilst rolling his eyes, "yes of course I fought Gaara, he was my opponent in the exam." However, at this, both Kakashi and Sakura exchanged strange, worried looks._

"_No, that fight got interrupted." Sakura explained slowly,_

"_What?" There was a sigh before a strangely familiar voice spoke up for them. _

"_Perhaps it will be best, if I did the explaining." Sasuke turned to the new voice and was greeted by a pair of large eyes. Slowly taking in the situation with both the talking dog and the fact that _the_ talking dog knew what was going on; Sasuke decided to ignore the talking dog and nodded for the dog to continue._

_The explanation had taken a while, but he'd managed to remember everything. Well, most of it. While he was definitely smug about defeating Sabaku no Gaara, he wouldn't call the day a complete success. After all, the sandaime was apparently retiring due to his injuries from his fight with that creeper Orochimaru. Sasuke stared down at his arm. He couldn't move it. Not even a twitch was manageable. _

"_Don't worry about your arm. It's not completely hopeless just yet." _Kakashi had told him, _"Jiraiya sama has gone to find Tsunade sama. She is an excellent medic. Also, she is the next Hokage. She will be able to help you."_

"_Where's that loser? I'd thought he'd at least visit." His curiosity raised even more when Sakura made a lame excuse to leave the room with teary eyes while Kakashi sighed and sat down on the seat beside the bed._

"_Right, I was getting to that." The copy-nin scratched his cheek nervously, "He's gone." Sasuke waited, sitting in the tense room; just waiting. Waiting for the sudden noise that'd no doubt burst into the room and a Naruto with his largest idiotic grin would jump in, laughing about this ridiculous excuse for being a joke. But seconds, minutes passed and still nothing. _

"_What trouble did that idiot get himself into again?" Sasuke simply asked, _

"_A bad one." Kakashi replied grimly, Sasuke swallowed. He knew Naruto was an idiot but idiotic enough that even Kakashi would think is bad? If he was in such a bad situation, why has Kakashi not done anything to help Naruto? Why did Sakura leave the room in tears? Could he be…? No. This is a resilient idiot they're talking about here; he has to be at the very least; alive._

"_Elaborate." _

"_We should wait until your injuries ar-" Kakashi made a move to stand up and leave the room, obviously trying to escape the topic._

"_Kakashi," Sasuke stopped their mentor just as he was about to leave the room, "Where. Is. Naruto?" The words came out slow, and strangely more malicious than he had intended for them to. It was as if he… cared. Kakashi turned around; there was grief and pain in that visible eye of his. _

"_He's with Orochimaru." Words sunk in slowly, one; by one; it was like time within the room had stopped. Sasuke was aware that his eyes were wide in shock, his mouth hanging open; he was aware of how much of an idiot he looked right now. But he couldn't contain the shock with an impassive face. _

"_What?" He finally managed to utter the words. _

"_He's with Orochimaru, Sasuke." Kakashi spoke the words again, "He's now a missing-nin. Betrayed Konoha. Left with Orochimaru on the day of the attack."_

The brush in Sasuke's hand snapped at the memory once again haunted his thoughts. Why had no one done anything to find Naruto? Have they given up already? _Well_, Sasuke thought to himself as he glanced down at what he was working on earlier, _I certainly have not._

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Naruto groaned in pain as he looked up through his sweaty bangs at Orochimaru,

"What is the matter, Naruto?" The teasing scratchy voice Naruto despised asked, "You are not focused."

"You _could_ go a little easier." Naruto spat blood out before forcing his body to move and stood. Orochimaru smirked as he cocked his head to the side; his hair moving accordingly. Naruto distantly wondered why such silky hair is wasted on a male and most of all; _him_.

"'_go a little easier'_" Orochimaru repeated, "Those words only apply to my partners when they're in my bed. You know that. Or are you suggesting that…" Naruto's hands shot up,

"Too much information." He shivered, "I didn't need to know that, and _no_. I am not suggesting _anything_. Why are all my mentors perverts?" Orochimaru chuckled, and Naruto relaxed a little at the light heartedness.

"All? Ah yes, you had _him_ as your mentor for a while, did you not?"

"_Orochimaru." The blonde in front of them spat out, Naruto momentarily stepped back at both the malicious intent and the hatred in her voice; bumping into Orochimaru who stood behind him. Quickly moving away so he longer was leaning against the adult behind him he only found himself pulled back. He glanced backwards and found it was Kabuto, the grip on his arm tight and if anything, painful. _

"_Stay close." The mouth words told him. Nodding; he noticed Orochimaru had discreetly stood a little more directly in front of him. _

"_Tsunade." Orochimaru gave a small reply, but Naruto could hear the smile in the voice. "It's been a while, hasn't it?"_

"_Save the nostalgia for someone who cares." Tsunade snarled to which Naruto raised an amused brow, talk about déjà vu. _

"_Well, well. Still as impatient as ever are we?" Orochimaru chuckled, "You should really fix that." Naruto would've found the conversation amusing if the scary blonde had not just almost punched a hole in the brick wall behind her with incredible force and speed. Naruto found himself seeking refuge as he hid behind the snake nin, "You're going to have to fix that, you know." Naruto could almost hear the eyebrow raise there. _

"_What is it that you want, Orochimaru?" _

"_Your skills."_

"_What?"_

"_Sorry." Orochimaru chuckled, with Naruto stuck to him like barnacles; Naruto felt Orochimaru's body shift a little. "I meant your medic skills, of course." Quickly understanding the meaning behind correcting himself, Naruto blushed a little. He noticed Tsunade raise a brow, _

"_Don't worry, Orochimaru. I'd never let my _other_ skills be wasted on you, ever. Now how about you elaborate on what you meant about my medic skills?" Her assistant coughed, probably a little embarrassed. Orochimaru shifted a bit more and Naruto moved a little to get a glance at what the other was doing. Seeing Orochimaru remove the bandages on his arms he moved away a little to give the other space._

"_With your skills," Orochimaru began, "You could fix this up, could you not?" Tsunade gave an amused snort as she saw his arms,_

"_I see you've fallen, Orochimaru. Sarutobi sensei must've used that on you." Naruto found himself giving out a low threatening growl as Tsunade laughed; a hand pushed him further behind as the blonde finally seemed to notice him, Naruto snapped his teeth at Orochimaru who was pushing him even further back as Tsunade took a step forward. "And who is this insolent brat?"_

"_No one that you need to be concerned about, Tsunade." Her eyes narrowed as she studied Naruto, _

"_He couldn't be…"_

"_Tsunade, I have come for your medic skills. How about we stick to one topic, I know it becomes difficult for you. But focus, please."_

"_And if I refuse?"_

"_Well, then. I'm not about to let those skills of yours be used for others. I'll have to kill you here." Tsunade grinned a little, _

"_Oh? You think you can defeat me?" Orochimaru chuckled as he shook his head,_

"_I don't think I can. I _know_." At that, Orochimaru pulled out a kunai; slowly slitting a small cut on his finger, bringing it out for Tsunade. Naruto stopped trying to fight off Kabuto, who was trying to calm the boy down so he doesn't do anything stupid attacking that blonde who laughed at Orochimaru, only he has the right to laugh at him. He noticed the arrogance coming off the blonde was no longer there, instead it was replaced by… fear? Naruto glanced up at Orochimaru, while the other made no indication to pay him any attention; he didn't fail to notice how Orochimaru's position made it difficult for him to even make one step forward nor did he fail to notice Orochimaru's attempt to draw attention off of him from Tsunade. _

_Just what was Orochimaru hiding from him?_

"_Behold commoners!" A loud voice Orochimaru thought could only be achieved by Naruto broke through the tense atmosphere, if he hadn't sensed it before; he has now. Someone who has the same level of annoyingness as Naruto. Orochimaru resisted a sigh. So this is going to be the reunion of the sanin? He immediately put himself on guard, despite appearances, Jiraiya was a formidable foe and he regretted not doing so quicker as soon as he heard a surprised yell from Naruto. Head immediately following the sound he found Jiraiya had somehow found a way to slip by both Kabuto and himself and got his hands on Naruto._

"_Naruto!" Kabuto made a move to give chase when Orochimaru stopped him. This was Jiraiya they were dealing with, while he knew his ex-teammate would do naught to harm the child; there was a part of him that wanted to give chase as well. No one, _no one_ touches what was his. Catching the note there was left in the air he passed it to Kabuto to read out loud, ignoring the glare for stopping him. _

"_**I am the white manned toad charmer,"**__ Kabuto read out slowly, __**"and one of the legendary sanin whom even celestial beings can't defeat."**__Orochimaru scoffed here but made no move to stop the rest. __**"It is I, Jiraiya sama."**_

"_Orochimaru sama…" Kabuto finally said after reading the note, "Forgive my impudence, but you had rather… strange teammates."_

"_Kabuto," Orochimaru replied as he started moving away from the destroyed scene, "we're legendary for a reason."_

"_So that's where the legendary come from? Rather than the skills?" _

"_Kabuto." Orochimaru turned around to face the other, "Both." Despite the situation, Kabuto found himself smiling at Orochimaru's nonchalant attitude._

"_So you have an idea on how to save Naruto?"_

"_Save?" Orochimaru chuckled, "Perhaps not just yet. My plans may have been set forward in time, but it is going smoothly. We will wait. Jiraiya would not harm the boy." _

"_Confident, are we?" There was bitterness in Kabuto's voice that Orochimaru found himself not able to put blame on,_

"_Yes. He will not be harmed." More than a reassurance, it was a promise. And if even a hair strand on Naruto was harmed, he would make sure Jiraiya would be around with a bald head; see if he could get ladies that way. _

"_Naruto seems to have quite a big influence on you, Orochimaru sama." Kabuto commented with amusement. When Orochimaru raised a brow at him, he smiled. "You have become quite a prankster. You have said everything out loud." Kabuto added._

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

"_And who are you, old man?" Naruto crossed his arms across his chest and waited, _

"_You wish to know?"_

"_I'd like to know the name of my kidnapper." Naruto's chin jutted up defiantly and scowled at the pleased look of the other as he struck a ridiculous pose._

"_I am the white manned toad charmer, and one of the legendary sanin whom even celestial being can't defeat. I am no other than…"_

"_Jiraiya." Tsunade spoke up as she walked into the room, "The brat is _asleep_."_


	4. Chapter 4

Apologies for the late update as classes has begun for me and I am obviously either too busy or too lazy to do anything else besides chilling out after an hour long bus ride. Buses, no,_ vehicles_ stress me out. Forgive me, minions.

Chapter four: Unexpected guest

"…_at…" Something soft touched one of his cheeks; causing the blond child to move from his ever so comfortable sleeping position. "Oi, wake up you stupid brat." Annoyed at both the soft object and at the insult, Naruto used a hand to swipe annoyingly at the air. There was a chuckle that made Naruto crack open an eye, "Finally. About time you opened your eyes. Or eye." His eyes slowly adjusted from drowsiness after his nap as they began to focus on the white haired male bending over above him. Surprised, he jolted forward almost head butting the man. "Whoa, careful there."_

"_Right," Naruto glared at the other, "Who are you, old man?"_

"_Who-" There was a groan before the man plopped himself down in front of Naruto, "If you didn't fall asleep in the middle of me introducing myself, you'd know by now."_

"_Huh." Naruto yawned, "Must've been a boring introduction then."_

"_You-!" Another laugh pulled Naruto's attention to the blonde he'd meet with Orochimaru; Tsunade, was it?_

"_Damn, I think I'm liking this kid more than I should."_

"_Tsunade!" The man moaned; Naruto hid his amusement at the childishness of it. "Who's side are you on, anyway?"_

"_You should know by now, Jiraiya; that I am _never_ on your side." Tsunade strolled into the room like she owned the place and sat herself on the other side of the room. "Right brat," She started after taking a sip from the cup she was holding, "You are a shinobi of Konoha, aren't you? Why were you with Orochimaru, who betrayed Konoha and is labelled as a missing nin?" Naruto noticed the atmosphere in the room immediately,_

"_I don't belong in Konoha." He replied simply, even at the brows rising he made no more indication to continue until an awkward cough got their attention. _

"_Naruto." Jiraiya looked at him through half lidded eyes as if he wanted to say something serious before he shook his head and grinned at him, "How about I show you something cool?"_

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

_Jiraiya stared in amazement at the progress the child was achieving; slowly but steadily. Already, he's completed the first two stages he'd given out for Naruto in order for him to master the Rasengan. Jiraiya had expected him to rush things through in hopes to complete the jutsu and go back to that snake faced Orochimaru. But the child had yet to show signs of haste. A slow smile made its way to the corners of his lips as he observed the boy in front of him. There in front of him, was another prodigy in the making. Yes, he thought to himself, just like 'him'. Pleased with what he was seeing he found himself starting to see the resemblance of his parentage; features from both Minato and Kushina were evident on the boy. Colour aside, he found his smile widen as he noticed how the boys eyes seem to shine with both intelligence and mischief; as those seem to all point towards Minato. However, he noted, the grace of movement that made the boy seem like he was weightless and dancing were all without a doubt, Kushina's. As the guilt in him relentlessly reminded him of his failure; Jiraiya failed to notice the fact the Naruto had abandoned his training and was crouching in front of him. _

"_Old man." Too surprised to retort back for being called old again, Jiraiya simply stared back into the amethyst eyes that stared back. "You smell funny." Blond brows knitted together in concentration; his nose twitched as he leaned forward for another sniff. "A bit like Kabuto when he eats my share of ramen and thinks I'd never find out." He added; head tilting to one side; there was a small rumble from his throat as he recalled the memory. It was almost cute. Instead of replying, Jiraiya simply ruffled the child's head affectionately before standing up; stretching. _

"_That's it for today." He announced instead._

"_No." Naruto shook his head, "I want to stay a little longer."_

"_Eager to win that bet, aren't we?" Jiraiya teased even as amethyst eyes narrowed dangerously, rage evident in them. _

"_It's not the bet that I care for." Naruto simply replied back, though his throat gave out a small rumble as he attempted to reel in his anger. Despite having expected this; Jiraiya found himself taking a step back at the dangerous aura the boy was emitting. "Nor do I care for the reputation of the Hokage title." He stopped walking as he reached the middle of the empty training field. "That is, if the old man Sandaime was not the Hokage. But by making fun of the Hokage, she made fun of the old man." Stunned, Jiraiya stood there; once again watching the child train._

"_No one makes fun of what's mine." He could almost hear the unspoken words that lingered stubbornly in the tense atmosphere._

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

"What are you thinking, Naruto?" The question was soon followed by a loud crash as the sudden intruder had startled him to falling off from the edge of the bed where Naruto had been.

"Ever heard of knocking?" Naruto scowled at the slit eyes of his guardian who in turn merely chuckled whilst giving him a look that told him he was an idiot for letting his guard down.

"And why should I? I am the owner of this place." Instead of replying, Naruto just plopped himself back on the centre of the bed and folded his arms across his chest with a pout on his face. The silence between them was short lived as Kabuto entered the room,

"Naruto, you have a guest." At this, Naruto raised a brow. Orochimaru evidently knew of this and didn't look surprised.

"_I_ have a _guest_?"

"Yes." Kabuto replied, exasperated. "This is exactly why I insist on being responsible for you education, you obviously are not yet literate enough."

"Hey!" Naruto jumped up from his bed and tackled Kabuto, "What was that supposed to mean?" Kabuto, despite being the one tackled and topped, looked completely at ease as he calmly replied Naruto.

"Exactly how it should."

"You-"

"Enough, the two of you." Orochimaru grumbled as he lifted Naruto off Kabuto by the hem of his shirt, "Now, Naruto, go to your guest. And remember this, you don't need to make the decision immediately, think it through. It will be your decision alone, but that does not mean that you _are_ alone."

"What is that supposed to mean?" Kabuto dusted himself as he finally was free to stand before giving Naruto a 'look'. And Naruto rolled his eyes, "Fine, I don't really get what you mean, but I suppose I would when I see this 'guest' of mine?" At Orochimaru's smirk, he knew he said the right thing and a surge of what felt suspiciously like pride swelled up in him. Oblivious to his sudden puff of his chest, he walked out of his room leaving a Kabuto with a headache and a mildly amused Orochimaru behind in his room.

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

"_Orochimaru!" Naruto called from behind Jiraiya. _

"_Stay back, Naruto!" Jiraiya insisted as he was pushed further behind the toad sanin; who turned to face the snake-nin once more. "What do you want, Orochimaru?" Orochimaru blinked before shaking his head,_

"_I see time had done your level of intelligence no good, Jiraiya." _

"_What?" Orochimaru chuckled softly; halting whatever it was that Jiraiya was about to retort back._

"_Return what is mine, and I may consider letting you leave… alive." Orochimaru added as he began walking forward; Kabuto closely behind. Naruto made another attempt to move towards Orochimaru but was once again stopped by Jiraiya. _

"_Naruto," The toad sanin said as he gave another gently, but insistent push. "Stay back, there's no need to be afraid. No harm will come to you, whether it's from _him_," He jutted his chin towards the approaching figures, "Or from me." He added gently, his voice clouded with sorrow Naruto found that he may never be able to comprehend. _

"_That's right, Naruto." Joined in a scratchy voice, "You know I won't harm you. Now tell me," Orochimaru continued; his pace towards them never faltering. "What do you want to do?" Naruto glanced at Jiraiya before back at Orochimaru and back again. _

"_I won't return to Konoha." He declared. Though soft, he knew both Jiraiya and Orochimaru had heard him. "I don't belong there, never have and I never will." With a louder and more confident voice, he straightened up as he turned to face Jiraiya fully. "Take Tsunade back to Konoha. You can report whatever you like to the old man Sandaime. But that will change nothing. I've made up my mind." Dozens of emotions flickered in the toad sanin's eyes; surprise, anger, betrayal, and then sadness and understanding._

"_Very well." Jiraiya sighed as he bent to pick up the unconscious blonde who had collapsed from her fight with Orochimaru. "I hope you understand what you are getting yourself into, Naruto." Jiraiya looked at him with serious eyes as he stared down at Naruto, "The path you have chosen will not be an easy one. Even so," Jiraiya continued; the tiniest smile on his lips along with his grim features. "I'll let you know that should you need me, I will be there for you." _

_As Orochimaru stopped next to him, they both stood in the opening; watching the retreating figure of the toad sanin._

"_Shall we head back?" Kabuto broke the silence and Naruto could feel Orochimaru's eyes on him, as if waiting for his reply. _

"_Yeah." Naruto replied softly. "Yeah." He said again, but this time it was nothing but the tiniest of a whisper. "Back home."_

-0-0-0-0-0-0-

"Wonder how the brat's holding up these days, eh?" Jiraiya suddenly wondered out loud.

"Hn!" Tsunade blew out, frustrated; whether it was from his comment or from the amount of deskwork she still had to complete. "You make it sound like I would care."

"Did I?" Jiraiya countered. A smile making its way to his lips already, "Don't tell me you've never wondered as well."

"Of course n-"

"Now, now; let's leave the talking for later, and get those paper works done hm?"

"Tch." Tsunade silently cursed as the door closed behind Jiraiya before her kunai reached him. Once again turning to face the ridiculous amount of paperwork, she found herself wondering what got into her when she agreed to be the Hokage.

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

There were several candidates to who this 'guest' was, and Naruto _had_ mentally prepared himself. However, _this_ 'guest' had not been one on the mental list he had made as he walked to the guest room. Realizing his mouth was still hanging open; he quickly closed and swallowed before speaking.

"I-Itachi?"

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Very sorry guys. Assignments and tests bombarding every single thought in my head. I'm going to update this chapter anyway, but I have yet to edit it. So, it might be re-updated. I don't know. Just thought that I should put it up anyway, I think I've made you minions wait long enough.


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